Pakistani Tekken Star ‘The JON’ Stands Tall with Win at Thaiger Uppercut

Pakistan Tekken stood strong once again, with flashy King player The Jon, representing Team Ashes claiming victory at Thaiger Uppercut 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The tournament, marking the final master level event on the Tekken World Tour calendar, was one of the last chances for players to secure their spots in the 2024 Tekken World Tour Finals, set to take place in Tokyo, Japan later this year. Pakistan maintained a strong presence in the tournament, with 4 Pakistanis making it to top 8 in a magnificent effort.

Hafiz Tanveer, Farzeen and the iconic Arslan Ash were the other 3 Pakistanis present in top 8, with the latter already on losers side after suffering a shock 2-0 loss in his pools match against local player Patloars. The rest of the top 8 featured top South Korean players such as Mulgold, Ulsan and the legendary Knee, with USA’s Shadow20z being the only non-Asian representative.

With a playstyle that perfectly matches his pro wrestling inspired character, The JON captivated the crowd with impressive moonsaults, powerbombs and Shining Wizards galore. His top 8 run started with a 2-1 win over compatriot Hafiz Tanveer before defeating Shadow20z in winners finals in three straight unanswered sets. Shadow would not go out lightly however, overcoming the Tekken Titan Knee in losers finals with a score of 3-2.

The Grand Finals was notably much more intense and closely fought, with Shadow choosing to employ Zafina before switching back to his trusted Claudio. The Pakistani King would not be denied his date with destiny however, as he eventually took the win 3-2 without going through a reset.

Following the event, there are now 4 Pakistanis with their spots all but sealed for the finals. Arslan Ash leads the global leaderboard in first with Atif Butt in fourth, The JON rising sharply to seventh, and Farzeen at seventeenth. Additionally, due to Pakistan being designated its own region, Nauman Chaudry, the highest regionally ranked Pakistani who is not currently in the global top 20 will also be eyeing up a trip to the finals